In this exclusive interview, Koffi KOMBATE, head of research on cassava and other starchy foods at Togolese Institute of Agronomic Research (ITRA), enumerates all the twist caused to the environment by the extension of farmlands.

Agriculture was practiced for thousands of years without the use of artificial chemicals. Artificial fertilizers were first created during the mid-19th century. These early fertilizers were cheap, powerful, and easy to transport in bulk.